This small town country boy got to drive in the Big City over the weekend. City life, in particular city traffic, is not for me. Everyone has some place to go, and, judging by the way they drive, they're late. Bumper to bumper, weaving in and out, laying on the horn . . . It's a madhouse. But as I watched the mayhem around me, I realized some life lessons were right in front of me.
The grass is not always greener, nor the next lane over necessarily a better choice.
We were in stop and go traffic. On the interstate. Lovely! We were not on a tight schedule, but obviously some people were. I saw one guy change lanes five times, trying to get ahead. He ended up behind us. Changing lanes didn't do him any favors.
We do the same thing in life. We know where we want to be, and when we want to be there. We all know the shortest route between two points is a straight line (except when flying over a curved earth--look up flight paths from America to Europe). But we get impatient. Antsy. We think we see a better way and crank the steering wheel of our lives right and left, oblivious to the obvious fact that traffic there is moving just as slow. When not satisfied with our new path, we jump again. And again. Always looking for an easier way when often the best thing to do is stay the course. More often than not, slow and steady wins the race. Thank you Mr Tortoise for that lesson.
Rules are there for a reason.
Speed limits, rules of the road, and traffic laws--as annoying as they are--exist for a reason. They keep things in order, ideally create a safe environment, and in general prevent chaos. The more traffic there is, the more important the rules are. And the more frequently and flagrantly they are ignored.
That's life also, isn't it? There are rules in place, some enacted by man and others by God. Just like those governing traffic, these laws are meant for both the individual and greater good. And the more people gathered together, to more likely those laws are to be violated. One person steps out of line, another follows, and pretty soon you have chaos. Anarchy. If left unchecked the entire system will spin out of control and eventually collapse. Sadly, there is evidence of that all over the world today.
Disaster awaits the careless.
Oh yes, it does. We all know what a bunch of flashing lights up ahead means. Ambulances, firetrucks, police, tow trucks. When people start breaking the rules, inevitably there is going to be a crash. More often than not, the innocent are caught up in the disaster along with the guilty. It's ugly. It's horrific. It's life changing, and sometimes, life ending.
I've witnessed people crash their lives in the same way. Speeding through life with reckless abandon, thinking they are above the law or "too lucky" to get caught, they break all the rules. Oh they look like everything is going their way, until they lose control. Eventually, those rules they are breaking catch up with them, and the result is never pretty. Broken vehicles and bones are bad. Broken souls are worse. And I've seen a few.
The other side of the coin.
For all my ranting about the speeders and traffic weavers, there is another outlaw out there. In many ways, this one is worse. He's the one who refuses to keep up with everyone else within the speed limit. He's the one in the left lane doing 50 in a 70--with his turn signal on. If anyone is going to cause problems, it's him. He's in the way, holding everyone back. Eventually enough pressure will build up behind him that something's going to go wrong. Very wrong.
In life, this is the person who will not do what they are supposed to do. The sluggard, the deadbeat, the carnal Christian. He refuses to do his part, and drags his feet through the muck and mire of life, stirring up the waters the rest of us have to swim in. He's the one dragging others down, putting them in danger. He's an anchor. Watch out for him, for he may very well be the most dangerous of them all.
Driving is like living.
Follow the rules. Find your route and stay the course. Do your part, and don't get in the way of others. If we all drive sensibly, we'll get where we want to be, just when we're supposed to be there.
good read!
ReplyDeleteThanks plantingpotatoes!
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